Holiday Scams, Charity Fraud Warning Issued In Philly Region

PHILADELPHIA, PA — The FBI Philadelphia is warning area residents to beware of holiday scams and charity fraud as there are schemes designed to steal people's money and personal information.

"The holiday season is a time to bring people together, but scammers are working to separate you from your money and personal information,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia.

Jacobs said whether people are shopping, connecting with loved ones, or looking to give back, there are steps everyone can take to better protect themselves online.

• If you didn’t call them, don’t tell them — Never share personal or banking information on an unsolicited call.
• If the link is a mystery, the risk isn’t — Don’t click unrequested links; use secure payment methods.
• Verify charitable organizations before donating. If you have any doubt, reach out — call the FBI at 1800-CALL-FBI or report it at IC3.gov.
• If a deal you find this holiday season seems a little too good to be true, it probably is.

Some of the most common holiday shopping scams reported to the FBI include:

• Non-delivery scams, where you, as a buyer, pay for goods or services you find online, but you never receive your items.
• Non-payment scams, where you, as a seller, ship purchased goods or services, but you never receive payment for them.
• Gift card fraud, where a seller asks you to pay with a pre-paid card.

FBI Philadelphia also reminds the public of the charity fraud scams criminals deploy this time of year to cash in on your kindness.

Charity fraud schemes seek donations for organizations that do little or no work—instead your charitable donation goes to the fake charity’s creator. Scammers can contact you in many forms, from e-mails, text messages, cold calls, and social media.

The FBI is offering tips to ensure that your charitable donation makes it to a legitimate cause:

• Give to established charities or whose charitable work you know and trust.
• Be aware of organizations with copycat names or names similar to reputable organizations.
• Be wary of new organizations that claim to aid victims of recent high-profile disasters.
• Give using a check or credit card. If an organization asks you to donate through cash, gift card, virtual currency, or wire transfer, it’s probably a scam.
• Don't click links or open email attachments from someone you don't know.
• Manually type out links instead of clicking on them.
• Don't provide any personal information in response to an e-mail, robocall, or robotext.
• Check the website’s address—most legitimate charity organization websites use .org, not .com
• Use strong, unique, and complex passwords or phrases for each individual accounts; do not reuse passwords across multiple accounts.
• Beware of phishing attempts. Do not click on any suspicious links or attachments in emails, texts, websites, or social media.
• Check the website or URL of when shopping to ensure it is legitimate and secure.
• Be vigilant when purchasing through a third-party vendor or seller.
• Use a credit card when shopping online and regularly monitor bank statements to confirm all purchases are your own.
• Always get tracking numbers for items you have purchased online.

Anyone who believes they may be a victim of a holiday shopping scam or a related fraud can report it to your financial institution and to the FBI by filing a complaint to the IC3 at ic3.gov.